Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Crum and Forster building update

NPU meetings can be quite the spectacle, and I'm sorry I missed the one last night concerning the GT Foundation's demolition permit for the Crum and Forster building. Maria Saporta has the lowdown, but generally it looks like the GT Foundation got torn a new one. Wish I'd been there - cheaper than a movie, and more entertaining.

Go ahead and sign the petition, call your councilperson, and the planning department. I sent an email to my Council member, as well as the three at-large members, and cc'ed the Council president and the mayor's office. The NPU only gets an advisory opinion - the Bureau of Planning makes the final decision on the permit. I think saving this building a no-brainer.

UPDATE (3:24pm): So far, one response from City Council. At-large member Mary Norwood:

Ben, thank you so much for writing. As you know, I am an avid supporter of historical preservation. I will do everything I can to try to save this building. I’ll keep you updated as we progress. Sincerely, Mary

Also, it's prolly worth bookmarking Save 771 Spring St. - they've got the info on important dates, as well as a few neat sketches and an overview of why the building is worth saving.

They seem to have the correct date for the next event - June 26, there is a Midtown Development Review Committee hearing at the 999 building. I spoke with some folks at the Midtown Alliance, who tell me the meeting has been postponed until the 26th (I've seen a few website that list the meeting as tomorrow).

If, like me, you were unsure of how the DRC process works, it appears to be a parallel track to the NPU system - these sorts of approvals must be heard by the DRC in addition to the NPU, both of which make recommendations to the City, who makes the final decision. I'm told the DRC is made up of Planning department staff, neighborhood folks, engineers, and the like. I didn't ask for a list of members, though. The Midtown Alliance facilitates the DRC for the City, apparently.